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-'Z. P NANCE. COTTON PRESS. No. 244,283 Patented July 12, 1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrc.

ZAGKARIAH F. NANCE, OF EUFAULA, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERT F. NANCE, OF SAME PLACE.

COTTON-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,283, dated July 12, 1881,

Application filed May 2, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ZACKARIAH F. NANCE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Eufaula, in the county of Barbour and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Presses and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to that class of cotton-presses in which a vertically-movable follower is operated by means of a vertical screw and a revolving nut.

The invention consists in the combination, with the follower and its screw, of a self-adjusting nut, which is composed of an external shell having a concave end bearing, and inclosing a nut proper having a convex end head. The external shell is attached to the customary 2 levers or sweeps for operating the same, and also has internal grooves which receive ribs on the nut encircling the follower-screw.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a screw cotton-press embody- 0 ing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, showing the interlocking bars for securing the doors of the press-box. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views of the revolving nut.

The letterA designates the casing and frame 5 of the press, having doors B at its upper end,

which constitute the walls of the bale-chamber. These doors are hinged in the customary manner, and are held in aclosed position during the performance of the baling operation bymeans of aframe, O, surrounding the casing of the press. This frame(] consists of four bars having gains or notches a cut in their ends for interlocking the same, and rest upon pins or projections b of the press-frame.

The customary platen, D, rests upon the top of the doors or movable walls of the balechamber, and is retained in position by means of movable cleats E.

A head-block or cross-beam, F, at the base of the press-frame receives a cylindrical tenon 0 or extension, G, of a shell, H, which incloses the nut I. The latter fits loosely in the cylindrical socket of the shell H, and a concave seat or cavity at the base of said socket receives the convex end or base of the nut I. The shell H is provided with vertical grooves h, and the nut I is constructed with ribs or win gs i, which enter said grooves and prevent the nut from turning independently of its surrounding shell. The nut I is preferably composed of two parts of Babbitt metal and one part of lead, and is molded on the screw J of the follower K. By casting the nut on the screw and turning it thereon theinternal thread is properly formed, owing to the ductile nature of the metal employed. The shell H has its seat in the top of the cross-beam F, and it rests upon anti-friction balls or rollers f, placed in the seat of the shell H. The projecting portion or tenon G of said shell passes through the beam F, and serves for the attachment of the customary lever-arms or sweeps, L, employed for working the follower.

The shell H and interior nut, I, may be said to constitute a follower-operating nut made of 7 5 two parts or sections, the interior portion or nut proper having a movement independent of its surrounding shell, to enable it to adjust itself to the position of the screw. In this manner the nut will not bind upon the screw and become inoperative in case the outer shell should be thrown out of a true horizontal plane, or out of plumb in respect to the screw-supporting beam F. By constructing the nut of two parts in the manner stated all undue friction is avoided, and the press-follower can be operated with greater ease and dispatch than with any other form of operating-nut heretofore devised. The wear of the nut is also materially lessened by permitting it to move ingo dependently of the surrounding shell, as has already been stated. Said shell or external portion of nut is generally constructed of castiron, and it rests upon the anti-friction balls or rollers, whereby it is made to turn easily.

I have in the present instance illustrated a press box or frame which swings in a building between two joists, the follower moving in an upward direction to compress the cotton in atop bale-chamber. It willbe obvious, however, that the follower can move in a downward direction and compress the cotton in a bottom chamber, and that the press box or frame need not be movable, but can remain stationary.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cotton-press, the combination of the revolving nut constructed of an outer shell or section, H, having a concave bottom seat, and an inner nut or section, I, having a convex lower end and turning with the outer shell, with the press-box, follower-screw, and sweep or driving arms secured to the revolving nut, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The outer shell or section, H, having acylindrical extension or tenon, G, and socket pro- 20 vided with vertical grooves h, and concave end cavity or seat, and the interior nut or section, I, having wings or ribs i and a convex end, in combination with the press-box, follower-screw, and driving sweep or arms at- 25 tached to the nut, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ZAOKARIAH F. NANCE.

\Vitnesses H. 0. JORDAN, N. M. HYATT. 

